Laura Ward/Octavia Cup Dance Theatre with Eidolon Ballet

Laura V. Ward founded Octavia Cup Dance Theatre, an expressionistic contemporary ballet company, in 1998. Octavia Cup aims to challenge both the dancers and the audience to delve a little deeper into their own shadows and mirrors with a sense of humor and absurdity. The choreography is usually on pointe, but the movement expands well beyond the conventional forms of ballet as so clearly stated by Jack Anderson from the New York Times "instead of having dancers skim with balletic grace, she often had them stagger". Laura collaborates with other artists from all over the world to create multi-layered spectacles rich with imagery, feelings, and ideas. The current team consists of artists spanning 5 continents and 8 countries. Each piece is presented in a nonlinear kaleidoscopic manner, providing drama and resonance, reaching into the secret soul spaces that thrum beneath the surface of everyday life.

In recent years the company has performed regularly in New York City and the Northeastern United States, Edinburgh, Scotland, and the Caribbean. The company has been onstage with rock stars in Central Park, danced to Stravinsky with a symphony in Queens, done outreach work with kids in Harlem and the East Village and performed with Jazz musicians in the Caribbean including Barbara Morrison and Lillian Boutte.

Laura Ward/Octavia Cup Dance Theatre brings you 2 different contemporary ballet performances, Dances front the Turn of the Century and Candy Warhol and the Nest of Troubles with special guests the Eidolon Ballet and young dancers from Long Island City School of Ballet. The Thursday and Saturday evening show Dances from the Turn of the Century revisits Warp Lake and White (from Enredaderas) with a few new twists thrown in.
Our Saturday matinee show, Candy Warhol and the Nest of Troubles was made especially for our younger audience. It features original text from Alberto Zayden, score from French composer, Michel Ayello, and interactive sets from Judy Thomas.